The guys in line

byIan BetteridgeonDecember 21, 2005

Chuq Von Rospach is getting a little stick from some quarters over his assertion that the kind of people who queue all night to get an Xbox 360 are a little weird. He responds – and reiterates his point – here:

And as to the folks standing in line — I don’t personally care what the product is or who’s company benefits, the folks who do that are strange.

I can kind of see Chuq’s point. It does seem weird when people people get so obsessional over objects. I’ve witnessed it myself, seeing people stay up half the night to here a Steve Jobs keynote on giant screen at a cold PC World in Croydon for the launch of (of all things) the Dalmation and Flower Power iMacs. That kind of obsession does leave you scratching your head.

But, on the other hand, it’s also proof positive that as a brand you’re doing the right thing. The hardest job in the world of marketing is establishing a positive identity for your brand and your products. Don’t knock it, because those people who queue up are also your best friends in the market. Companies should treat them like a cross between friends and royalty, no matter how weird.

I cant think of a better gut-check indication of the success of buzz-building marketing than hoards of customers camping out to get your product. Ian Betterridge at Technovia makes a great point in response to some assertions that the gu…